The Best is Yet to Come

The adventure is not over! It did not end when I crossed the Atlantic Ocean and returned to the comfort of my home. It is just beginning.

Here are a few updates for those who are still following my adventure!

-I graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelors of Science in Education!!!

-I spent almost two months job hunting and trusting God for a teaching position.

-I got hired to teach the 4th grade at Pleasantdale Elementary School in Dekalb County.

-Two weeks before school started I got a notice that I was no longer going to teacher the 4th grade but instead I would be teaching the 3rd grade. (Still super excited!)

-I spent a week of preplanning with my other third grade teachers and staff members, preparing my classroom and heart and mind to receive my students.

-First day of school, I met 15 wonderful smiling faces eager to learn and to excited to start a new year.

-First Wednesday of the new school year, I get news that our school was 150 students below our projections for the new year. This means we have too many teachers and not enough students while other schools are dealing with the opposite. They have too many students and not enough teachers.

-Wednesday afternoon, my principal and vice-principal call me into their office and inform me since I was the last teacher to be hired at my school that I was first on the list to be transferred to one of the schools that were in dire need of teachers.

-Wednesday afternoon, I was in shock, confused, angry, sad, and wondering why this was happening to me. It is my first year teaching, first week teaching and now I learn that I have to pack up my classroom and transfer to a new school. New students, new principal, new staff members, new location. All I could think was "Why God? Why now, why me?"

I was bonding with my students, finding myself in that classroom, becoming content and comfortable. Comfortable. That is something God doesn't allow me to do for too long before He comes and shakes things up.

As I was praying and seeking God for understanding and answers, He reminded me that He doesn't do things for us to understand or even for us to know the reason why. All we need to do is put our complete and total trust in Him and to have faith (yes the size of a bungee jump!).

-Friday, the last day of the first week of school I drove to work still a little confused but more optimistic about what was to come. I prayed and asked God for direction and peace in my situation. When I finished my prayer I turned on the radio and the song that was playing was Donald Lawrence's The Best Is Yet to Come. This was a welcome comfort to my concerns that were still looming in mind. After that song went off I turned the station to the Gospel channel and guess what song was playing...The Best is Yet to Come. All I could do was shack my head and smile as I listened to the encouraging words. As that song came to an end I turned to V103 for the Inspirational Vitamin. I caught the end of the brief message, but I was just in time for the worship song...The Best is Yet to Come. At this point, I looked up to heaven with a huge smile and proclaimed to out loud, "Ok Lord, I hear you loud and clear!" I knew that God was sending me comfort and encouragement for my situation. I was so blessed to have a great school, supportive staff members, and bright, amazing students for my first real teaching experience. So anything that will follow this can only get better!

I may never know why God is moving me but I do know that I will be a teacher no matter where I am. The building does not matter. All that matters is my passion to inspire and educate children and the mission God has placed in my heart. I just need to close my eyes and fall into His arms because the BEST is yet to come!